Only 11 voters cast ballots in the election, held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Perry Lilley and Kevin Brannen were both re-elected to three-year terms on the town’s Board of Selectmen. Both ran unopposed.
According to Town Manager Candy Nevers, Smyrna’s Mill rate will remain at .017 mills per thousand. “The state has increased the Homestead Exemption for qualifying homeowners from $10,000 to $15,000, so that will give taxpayers a break of $255 as opposed to $170,” Nevers said. “The state is reimbursing the towns for just half of the valuation of the total exemptions given.”
Attendance for the town meeting was even lower, with just nine residents coming out. The group spent just 30 minutes and all of the articles were unanimously approved as written at the meeting, Nevers said.
The town agreed to spend the following amounts: general government, $205,777 and outside agencies, $6,363 for a total of $212,140. Last year’s municipal appropriation was $209,500.
“We increased the amount raised for municipal roads,” Nevers said of the increase.
Voters accepted $28,141 in rent from the United States Postal Service and will use up to $20,000 of that amount to keep the mill rate stable.
The County tax is up for Smyrna from $22,468 last year to $24,311 this year.
“We have an increase in other funds to use against the budget over last year ‚Ä“ last year other funds used to reduce taxation was $125,000, and this year we have $134,307,” she said. “We are disappointed that more people did not attend, but it had been a stormy day and there was, no contest in the seats and no controversy.”
